Prophecy Updates- Middle East, Signs in the Sun and Moon

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to post anything here concerning Bible prophecy of the End Times.  It’s been a busy couple of years for me and I’ve missed posting here. I have a little bit of time, and I’ve been thinking for a while that I need to post some things that some folks might not be aware of.

It’s hard to say that people aren’t aware of things going on in the world today concerning the Middle East as it’s in the news every day. This is going to be one of my notorious long posts, but full of info, so please bear with me.

I want to reiterate the fact that I am only a student of Bible Prophecy, religions and politics, so it’s best to check things out for yourselves if you find anything here that grabs your attention, especially if you’re not a Christian but curious. I also want to say that I’m not predicting that Jesus is coming back on any specific day or time frame, but the signs are plain to see that the world is on the edge of something, and Bible prophecies have a history of being 100 percent accurate.

If anyone remembers my old stuff, I’ve written about the Imam Mahdi- or the 12^th Imam of Shia Islam, but I never wrote much about the Caliphate until recently. There is too much to go into the Shia vs Sunni sects of Islam, but the absolute basics are that all Muslims believe that Allah is their only god and Muhammad his messenger. They all follow five ritualistic pillars of Islam and read the Koran. Sunnis rely mostly on the practice of the prophet and his teachings, the “sunna”, the Shia see their ayatollahs as representatives of god on earth. Sunnis accuse Shia of heresy and most Shia sects place importance on the belief that the twelfth and final imam is hidden and will reappear one day to rule the world.

The Shia claim Sunni dogma has led to extremist sects such as the Wahhabis, which are the sect of Islam that unified the modern Saudi Arabia, the House of Saud and is still dominant today. Many Sunnis do not consider Shia to be proper Muslims. Sunni Muslims have always held onto the idea of rebuilding the original Caliphate, bringing the world under Islamic rule. It’s important to know Sunni Islam is where we have terrorists’ organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Al Qaida, Al Nusra, ISIS and numerous others. Shia is mainly Al Quds (Iranian Guard) and Hezbollah.

The Bible prophecies in the Book of Daniel, chapter 2, Daniel explains a dream by the king of Babylon of kingdoms which were to come.
The head of Gold was the Babylonian Empire, Silver was the Media/Persian Empire (539 BC-331 BC), Bronze was Greece (331 BC- 30 BC) and the “Legs” of Iron is believed by some to be the Roman Empire (30 BC-397 AD).
However further study, and bringing the study of the original Islamic Caliphate into the equation, it’s more likely that the Legs actually do represent the Ottoman Empire as many other folks have believed. The Empire which was the legs, broke or crushed ALL of the territories which made up the previous kingdoms.  As I said, the Roman Empire was huge, but it didn’t cover all of the Middle Eastern areas which were covered by the Ottoman Empire.

I can’t remember now how many years ago I came to the conclusion that the revived empire (the feet of the statue) described in the end time prophecies was in fact the new Ottoman Empire but I remember looking at maps of the different territories held by the Romans vs those held at the height of the Ottoman Empire, and the similarities were striking, except for the fact that the Ottoman Empire was larger and encompassed the lands which once were ruled by the Babylonians and Persians, which folks know are made up of Islamic Countries now- Iraq and Iran.

There were 4 main Caliphates during the time of the Ottoman Empire and all the areas conquered lasted under the Ottoman rule from 622 to 1924 when it was finally divided by the British after the First World War.

Back to Daniel for a minute, verse 40 tells us that the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron and yet as iron that break the others, shall it break in pieces and bruise. Verse 41 tells us that the feet and toes, part clay, and part iron, will be divided; yet still strong as iron, and as Verse 42 says, the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken which we have seen since the 1920s. Which  brings us to the last, revived empire,  in Verse 43, iron mixed with clay, “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay”, which describes the division between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam. It also mirrors what we see today in much of Europe, and the west, with Muslims living in non muslim countries, yet not intigrating or following those countries' traditions. They are mingling but not cleaving to society.

As we are seeing in the Middle East right now, mainly in Syria and Iraq, the formation of ISIS or ISIL is a power struggle of sorts, where we have mainly Sunnis fighting against Shia. This was evident in Syria which was begun before the Arab Spring when the Sunnis wanted to topple the Assad regime, Assad being Alawite, which is a smaller sect of Shia Islam. This explains why Shia Iran (Persia) has backed the Assad regime in Syria all along, and the Sunni Gulf states have backed the so called rebels.

Those who have paid attention to the United States actions in the Middle East over the past number of years, may have noticed how the different regions of the Middle East and North and East Africa have been manipulated and our government has been aiding Sunnis who are working together to build a Caliphate.

Some folks may remember me on AOL Journals, where I had my original No Apologies blog. I once wrote a post which I said that America isn’t found in Bible end time prophecies.

While I still don’t believe the US will be much of a player at least as far as the 7 year tribulation period goes, I never believed I’d see the leaders of the US play such a huge role in bringing about events which would lead to the prophecies being fulfilled.

This brings us back to the Caliphate and the last empire, the Revived Ottoman Empire.  Modern day Turkey’s  Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made a show of staying out of the situation in Syria except to allow refugees to come into the country, however Turkey was a transfer point of weapons to Syrian rebels by the US and NATO nations. Turkey has also been the gateway for Islamist Jihadis who have flooded into Syria and Iraq from Europe and other nations to join the rebels and more recently, ISIS. 

Still Erdogan tried to appear neutral, until now. Back in April of this year, a secret recording leaked which showed that Erdogan’s government was planning an attack against Syria when they provided cover for armed terrorist groups to enter Syria from Turkey.  Now it’s been reported that ISIS State has surrounded the Tomb of Suleyman Shah who was the grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. He was originally buried in Aleppo, but the grave was relocated in 1973, and is considered to be the sole piece of Turkish soil in Syria. 36 Turkish soldiers are reportedly located at the tomb where they defend the territory.

According to reports from Arab tribes, 1100 ISIS militants are deployed around the tomb as of September 29^th.   On the 30^th, Turkey moved soldiers and tanks to the Syrian border. Parliament is expected to vote on military action in Iraq and Syria on October 2^nd which could allow Turkey to “strike Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and defend itself against any threat from Syrian President Assad’s forces in Syria.  On Oct. 1^st, Erdogan said in a speech at the opening of parliament that, “We will fight effectively against both (Islamic State) and all other terrorist organizations within the region; this will always be our priority… We will (also) continue to prioritize our aim to remove the Syrian regime, to help protect the territorial integrity of Syria and to encourage a constitutional, parliamentary government system which embraces all (of its) citizens.”

(Updated during editing- On October 2^nd the Turkish Parliament voted for and approved sending ground troops into Syria and Iraq, to fight ISIS in both countries. Also updated during final editing- Turkey is showing forces at the border with Syria, but still standing down against ISIS who have finally infiltrated and on the verge of taking over the town ofKobane. If Turkey was only interested as the US is in defeating ISIS, they’d have done something by now to take out the large forces of ISIS when they were out side of Kobane, Syria and Baghdad, Iraq.)

Why does this matter, and what does it have to do with anything? According to numerous articles over the past few years, Erdogan has dreamed of being the Caliph of a new Caliphate, but one run by the Muslim Brotherhood instead of the Ottoman Empire. Erdogan has allied himself to the Sunni Brotherhood and there have been reports of his planning to help the Brotherhood overthrow the latest Egyptian President. Now that he is considering an attack on Syria, if he manages to overthrow Assad, and fight against ISIS’ self-proclaimed caliphate, he could become the Caliph over Syria and possibly Egypt should the latest government collapse there.

There is so much more going on right now than space allows, so again, I’d suggest anyone interested in this to follow the links and do your own studying. But however this plays out, the pieces are fast being moved into place which is building the final kingdom- which happens to have 10 toes (Kings) which are found in Daniel Chapter 7 and Revelation Chapter 17.
I’m not going to focus on Israel in this post, as I’ve written plenty in the past about wars between Israel and her enemies described in Psalms and Ezekiel and Gog and Magog (which interesting enough seems to be shaping up as well) You can read those here if you haven’t read them before.

Two more things I would like to focus on, one being the so called Blood moons which have been talked about quite a bit the past couple of years, and something not talked about much, the 70^th Jubilee.

First, what is this blood moon thing that folks are talking about, and could they really be a sign of prophecy?

Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

Throughout history, blood moons have happened whenever the Earth comes between the sun and the moon and the sun shines through the atmosphere of the Earth bathing the moon in a red shadow. This year and again next year, we have had the beginning of four appearing close together which is very rare. There have only been a series of blood moons a handful of times over the past 500 years.

Interesting enough, this year’s Blood moons appeared in April on the Jewish Passover, and will again happen this month during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot which happens from the 8^th to the 15^th.

The timing is the same for next year, again appearing on Jewish feast days. Now here is where it gets interesting if it's true.

The Shemitah year, or the Jewish Sabbatical year began on September 24^th on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The Shemitah is the seventh year in the seven year agricultural calendar of Israel. According to the Torah, personal debts were to be waived and a sort of financial reset occurred in ancient Israel during the Shemitah. Time was set aside for the nation to rest and devote themselves to worshipping and fellowshipping with God.

In relation to this Shemitah year, the final Blood Moon will occur on the Feast of Tabernacles, September 28, 2015. This is also the date for the celebration of the end of the Shemitah year to be held at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and the Blood Moon will be visible in Jerusalem.

Next year according to the Jewish Calendar, Rosh Hashana or the Feast of Trumpets which is the Jewish New Year will occur Sep 14-15^th, Yom Kippur which is the Day of Atonement will be on Sep 23^rd,  Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles will be Sep 28^th to Oct 4^th.

UPDATE AGAIN- Here is a video which 'debunks' the blood moon theory, which makes sense. However taking more into account, prophecies are still shaping up whether the blood moons have anything to do with them or not.

Leviticus 23:23-25 tells us of Rosh Hashana or the New Year, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’”

Jesus is represented in the Feast of the Trumpets as His coming for the Bride of Christ- the Christian believers, because in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:52 His coming is announced by blowing of a loud trumpet.

Leviticus 23:27 tells us of the Day of Atonement, “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the Lord.”

Jesus is represented in the Day of Atonement as He atoned for all the world’s sins and as the second coming of Christ when all will see Him, and repent of their sins.

Romans 11 tells us, “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

Once again, Leviticus 23:34 describes Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, on the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord.”

Jesus is represented through Lord's promise that He will once again “tabernacle” with His people when He returns, Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

The Jewish New Year next year is significant as well in Bible Prophecy because it will be the Year of Jubilee.

Remember, this year signifies the Shemitah, the seventh year in the seven year agricultural calendar of Israel where personal debts are to be waived and also a time for the nation to rest and devote themselves to worshipping and fellowshipping with God.

This is also bringing us into the year of Jubilee which happens in 50 year cycles, following the year of Shemitah. Since Shemita began on Sept 14^th and 15^th, this means the next Jewish New year will mark the beginning of the Year of Jubilee.  In Jubilee, all debts are supposed to be cancelled, all land is supposed to be returned to its original owner. Liberty is proclaimed throughout the land.

It’s interesting to note that the Jubilee verse is written on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It also may signify the Lord’s land being returned. Jerusalem is still a divided City, with the Dome of the Rock- the Muslim’s 3^rd holiest place which sits on the Temple Mount- the Jew’s Most Holy place, and the Temple of God. There is more and more talk of the third Temple being built. Until now, this was unheard of, but even some Muslims are talking about it, believing the Jews should be able to build their Temple.

1916 was a year of Shemitah.  The Year of Jubilee followed in 1917/18 and Jerusalem was liberated from the Turks.  1965 was a year of Shemitah, and the next Jubilee occurred between 1966 and 67.

The Bible uses the number 7 which represents completeness and perfection.  The Book of Daniel gives a prophetic “time clock” of what’s called the 70 weeks or the time of the Gentiles.

I won’t go into that here, but it is an interesting study and explains how all of the timelines of history have lined up to what was written in Daniels’ time.  It was not 70 calendar weeks, but rather it was 70 'weeks of years', figuring each day of the 70 weeks as one year. In the Book of Daniel, Gabriel divides up the 70 weeks into 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and one week.

The 7 weeks - This 49 year period is the time where the 'commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem' was given. It would take 49 years to accomplish this, and it began in 445 BC.

The 62 weeks - From the end point on the rebuilding of the walls, until Messiah was to be revealed, it would be 62 weeks, or 434 years.

The last week - This 7 year period is yet future because God stopped the time clock when Israel rejected the Messiah and He went to the cross.

Adding the 7 weeks, or 49 years, to the 62 weeks, or 434 years, brings us to a total of exactly 483 from the time that the commandment went forth to rebuild the walls unto the very day, April 2, 30 AD just prior to Jesus going to the cross.

The last week, 7 years, is paused and is referred to as “the time of the gentiles” and deferred to a point in the future.

The Great Dispersion happened in Israel when the Romans set fire to Jerusalem and drove the Jews out to live in the "four corners of the earth." This happened in 70 AD. And during this time, the period known as the 'time of the gentiles' has been taking place, with Jews in exile. But Jesus, when asked by His disciples in Matthew 24 about the time of the end days, gave the prophecy of a time in the future when Israel would be restored as a nation, and the true End Times would begin, and it’s the main prophetic event which happened in our generation which separates us from earlier generations who believed Jesus was coming in their time.

"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matthew 24: 32-34

Jesus was saying that when you would see the rebirth of Israel (the fig tree) an event prophesied in dozens of places in the Bible, then you would know that that generation would not pass until all the things He talked about in Matthew 24 were fulfilled.

Israel became a nation again on May 14, 1948. Jerusalem unified and other Bible territories were won for Israel in 1967/68- the last Shemitah, the last Jubilee Year, during another series of blood moons. Israel has been a state since, yet is still under aggression and attack by her Muslim neighbors. Jerusalem is still under the times of the Gentiles. The next Jubilee year could be quite interesting considering.

Once again, I’m not saying Jesus will be coming back on any of the feast days next year, or even within the next year, however signs which He described are happening, things in the Middle East and elsewhere are shaping up quickly, as He described as ‘birthpangs’. All of these things point to His eventual return. The last week of Daniel's prophecy will happen soon

Read the Bible, compare scriptures and be aware of things going on. Remember, 100 percent of Biblical prophecies which have come to pass so far have happened just as the Bible said.  While no one other than God knows the exact time of Jesus’ return, it would make sense to believe that the prophecies which still have yet to be will be just as they were told.

If you don’t know Jesus, you can meet him Here. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21

This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:11,12

News Headlines and Bible Prophecy

It has been a long time since I've posted anything here.  I've been so busy with other things, but so many things have been going on in the Middle East that have potential to fulfill prophecies that were written down thousands of years ago.
I'm not talking about Myans or Nostradamus type things.  I'm talking about specific Bible prophecies about specific places and events.

First of all, the news from Syria.  There has been so much fighting between Assad and the rebels, millions of people, many Christians have been caught in the middle between two radical Islamic powers.  It seems as if the country is about to fall, either way will only benefit Islamists who are wanting to destroy Israel.

Isaiah 17:1-3 tells us of a time that Damascus will be nothing but ruins and no longer inhabited.  How do we know this prophecy was never fulfilled yet?  Because Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.  It has always survived through empires throughout history, unlike other cities and regions such as Ninevah, Sodom and Gamorrah, which none of has ever come back to being after they were destroyed. 

The Bible makes clear that Damascus will no longer be a city, but a ruinous heap.  If anyone has seen photos recently, it is fast coming to be a war torn waste.

What about Egypt, Libya and Turkey?  For the past 30 years, while not stable, these nations all had a tolerable sort of "peace" with Israel.  The leaders were busy being dictators as in the case of Gaddafi and Mubarak were focused more on their own nations and for the most part ignored Israel.  Now that muslim brotherhood forces under Morsi in Egypt after violent civil wars, and the trouble which still effects Libya, we have these two nations in place who now hate and have spoken agains Israel.  Turkey was for a long period a more secularized muslim nation, but now, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken against Israel and is bringing Turkey more in line with an islamic regime.

Soon there will be a war agains Israel.  Some folks believe it will be between Israel and Iran since threats have been building and Iran has continued with it's nuclear programs and potential to manufacture weapons.  But prophecies show that the first war will come at first from all of those nations who border directly with Israel.

Psalm 83:5-8 says, 

For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;
 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

Edom descended from Esau and lived Southeast of Israel. The Edomites became the Idumeans during the first century. From Jacob's days through the time of Christ the Edomites were Israel's enemies. During King Herod's rule the Idumeans became cooperative with the Romans and intermarried with Roman royalty.
The Ishmaelites were descendants from Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's slave. They became the Bedouin tribes and the peoples of Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Saudis.
The Moabites descended from Lot and were a tribal people living east of the Jordan. Lot was Abraham's nephew who lived in Sodom, a green, fertile area that was completely destroyed due to its wickedness. Today, the Moabites form southern Jordan.

The Hagrites, Gebal and Ammon comprise northern Jordan. Gebal was most likely a community south of the Dead Sea, near Petra in Edom. The peoples of Ammon also descended from Lot, Abraham's nephew. They were located east of the Jordan River.
The Amalekites were mostly nomads living southeast of the Jordan River and were descendants of Esau. Amalek forms the northern tribes of the Arabs. They became the ruling classes of the Persian Empire which encompasses Iran today.
Philistia was located southwest of Israel, and Tyre was northwest of Israel. The inhabitants of Tyre compose today's inhabitants of Syria and Lebanon. The inhabitants of Tyre had evolved into the Phoenicians who later became Lebanon.

The descendants of Assur are from ancient Assyria. This includes the northern tip of Babylon in Iraq and moves up into the ancient land of Nineveh. This encompasses northern Iraq and eastern Iran.

So in essence, it will be the Arab muslim nations coming aginst Israel.  We've seen attacks from Gaza for a long time, and even some rockets "straying" in from Syria this past fall.  Soon these nations, which have drastically changed through the so called arab spring will gather together against Israel.

The Bible tells us that Israel, through God, will win.  Verses 17 and 18 tell us,
Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:
 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.

There will be another war, directed by Russia and Iran coalisions which will come against Israel as described in Ezekiel 39.    The Lord will save Israel from her enemies when this war comes.  Verses 9 and 10 describe what things will be like after this war,  

And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God
But how do I know that the war of Psalm 83 comes first?  Because verse 11 describes Israel,

And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.

Israel will be living in peace at that time, without walls (the border along Gaza and the West Bank) and will have been living in safety, which is not the case for that nation these days.  Israel will survive both the war described in Psalm 83 and that of Ezekiel 39.


The war to follow, which will include the rest of the world's forces will come as described in Ezekiel 38 This will be, I believe the war of all wars, that one at Armageddon.
Verses 19-23 describe the Lord's wrath in those days.
For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother.
 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

We can almost compare the news headlines with what was written thousands of years ago in the Bible prophecies.  The times are getting short, and the time now is to look to the One who saves.  I'd suggest if you don't know Who Jesus is, start here with John Chapter 1.  Please don't wait. The time is now.


 

 

Heading Towards a One World Government

2011 Could Usher in Huge Financial Changes

By Bill Perkins Compass.org

As events continue to unfold on God's perfectly timed prophetic calendar, Believers will have more and more opportunities to point to the Bible as the only answer to the world's problems.As non-Believers look more and more to the government for help, instead of God, their problems will only worsen. We must be ready to give Biblical answers as God provides us opportunities.
"... always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" - 1 Pet 3:15The Cold Hard FactsOur new Federal budget for one year is expected to be roughly 3.5 trillion dollars, and 1.3 of the 3.5 is interest due!And to top that off, we only have 2 trillion in tax revenue to fund the 3.5 trillion dollar budget!To pay for this budget shortfall, we will print more money to make up the 1.5 trillion dollar difference. The United States owes a total 132 trillion dollars if you include unfunded Social Security, Medicare, government pensions, etc., so apparently there is no problem with tacking on another 1.5 trillion in debt. Do you see a problem here? Any thinking person does.Because of this insane approach to accept and add more debt, there is a reasonably good chance that we will soon see huge changes in our money. And when the monetary base is adversely affected, it gets people's attention - big time. And as our esteemed President has warned us, "Change is coming." And this "change" will affect Christians just as much as non-Christians.Our dollar is devaluing right in front of our eyes. We're currently at the "Frog in the heated water" point. When it finally dawns on the masses what is really going on, there will be a rush to the exits, and then our government will step in and take action to "save our way of life." We can only theorize what they will do to "make things better," but we're guessing most of us won't like it.It could happen quickly. At some point in the future you could literally wake up one morning with a new money, a severely devalued dollar, or a New World currency. Or, the dollar might simply continue its steady decline year after year. Any way you slice it, the dollar is dying.The Bible tells us how the world's money culminates:
"And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. - Rev. 13:15-17So from the above tribulation time period verse, we know we will end up with a one world leader who controls every single monetary transaction in the market. Money will be obsolete. And it seems America is the last obstacle to this fast approaching system. Therefore, if we're living in the last of the last days, it's not surprising that Satan has America in his cross hairs.Consider what the "god of this world" has been able to do to the largest nation of true Believers in the world in the last few years:
In 2000 we had 16 million people in the United States receiving government food stamps. In 2010 we had 43 million dependent on food stamps. 53 million are eligible!
Today there are an estimated 6 to 8 million people living in homes without making mortgage payments.
Since 2000 the United States has lost over 10% of it's middle class jobs - a loss of 7 million jobs.
In 1970, 25% of all jobs were manufacturing jobs. 32% of manufacturing jobs have been lost since 2000 alone (mostly due of NAFTA). Today only 9% of all jobs are manufacturing jobs.
Since 2001, over 42,000 U.S. factories have closed for good. In the last year, American companies have created 1.4 million jobs overseas but less than one million here at home.
40% of Americans work in low paying service jobs.
Since 2007, an incredible 55% of the U.S. labor force has suffered a spell of unemployment, cut in pay, reduction in hours or have become involuntary part-time workers.
Currently there are over 6 million Americans who have been unemployed for over 18 months or longer... most are hanging on because of the government's continual extension of unemployment benefits.
In 2000 the United States was ranked number one in wealth per adult. In 2010 the United States has fallen to seventh. China will overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy in the next five to seven years.
Real estate has yet to bottom out. In Nevada, 67% of all mortgages are financially underwater. Roughly 50% of the houses in Arizona and Florida are underwater. When these houses are eventually put up for sale, simple supply and demand will again cause real estate housing prices to dive another 5% to 20%.
It's not only the Fed who is in trouble, our state and local governments owe as much as $2 trillion more than they can pay. They owe even more to unfunded pension funds and health benefits - a whopping $4 trillion.
· Recently on 60 Minutes, Oppenheimer analyst Meredith Whitney predicted that 50 to 100 American cities will go broke in 2011. Included in the list are New York City, San Diego, Cincinnati, Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angles, Washington D.C., and Detroit.
For the past couple of years, states have been scraping by on billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds. But now, that money has been spent and their debt problem has not been solved.And, unlike the Federal Government, cities and states cannot print money to bail themselves out. They have to balance their budgets each year. But ridiculously high budgets forged to please voters and create insane retirement plans, pushed through by unions, leave cities and states no choice but to raise taxes or cut spending, or both. The potential of cutting a widow's retirement monthly check has become real and necessary. Recently Fed Chairman Bernanke formally declared that the Federal Reserve cannot and will not bail out the state and local governments.
California now faces a deficit of $28.5 billion over the next 18 months and annual deficits of AT LEAST $20 billion for the next five years. It's credit rating is approaching junk status.
Some states have already begun cutting services. Newark just fired 1300 state workers and laid off firefighters and emergency personnel. Many states are refusing to pay their pension funds. In Illinois, if the state owes you money, get in line... a long line. Checks take an average of 6 months to reach you. This has resulted in state officials being evicted from their offices for nonpayment of rent!2011 may be the year of the greatest opportunities for witnessing since Paul left on his first missionary journey! As Satan readies for a post-rapture world, Believers will have answers to share - that this world is not the end, heaven is ahead for all those who trust Jesus' shed blood in place of their own sin.

Apologies

Hi folks, I just wanted to write a quick note, to apologise for not posting anything. I've been very busy with things, and I've not really had time to blog. When I have had a little, I couldn't get the words out right.
I will post something soon, as there is so much going on which makes many of us look up a lot more often! We can practically hear the angels getting ready for our Lord's return! God Bless and thank you so much for reading~ I will hopefully post something real soon~
Carolyn

Monday, May 17, 2010

Lest We Forget [Who Owns] Jerusalem
By Stan Goodenough Jerusalem Watchman

It is not all that unusual for an Israeli politician to garnish his or her speeches with a verse or even two from the Bible (the Tanach or “Old Testament.”) Religious and non-religious Jew alike will dip into the most famous and cherished Hebrew-language original to underscore a message to their people.Prime ministers have also used the Bible to encourage Christian visitors to Israel to continue and increase their support of the Jewish state.Somewhat less common is the practice of using the scriptures in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to buttress one side of a political debate.When, on Jerusalem Day last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dared reference the Holy Book in defense of the Jews’ claim to the city, the response was predictably harsh.According to Reuters, Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating the 1967 return of Jerusalem to Jewish control that “Jerusalem” and its alternative Hebrew name “Zion” appear 850 times in the Tanach.“As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check,” he said.

But when an Arab Knesset member challenged him, the news wire reported:Netanyahu “offered a lesson in comparative religion from the lectern.”“Because you asked: Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and none of the 16 various Arabic names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. But in an expanded interpretation of the Koran from the 12th century, one passage is said to refer to Jerusalem,” he said.

The indisputable fact was too much for PLO chief negotiator Sa’eb Erekat, who fired off this sanctimonious response:“I find it very distasteful, this use of religion to incite hatred and fear,” said the man whose organization has a long and unbroken record of stirring hatred, and perpetrating and “justifying” acts of terrorism with references from the Quran.“East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian town, and East Jerusalem cannot continue to be occupied if there is to be peace,” he added, unblushingly warning that “Palestinians” will continue to kill Jews as long as Jews insist that all Jerusalem is their capital.No surprises there.

Netanyahu was quite correct in saying that there is not a single mention of Jerusalem in the Quran, whereas the Bible mentions the city nearly 1000 times.Using an online Bible with a search engine, I sought to determine not just how many times this city is mentioned, but what is actually said about Jerusalem on some of these pages. This is what I learned:

in 1004 BC(E), the Israelite king, David, overthrew a Jebusite stronghold located in the southern mountainous region of the land of Canaan, and relocated his throne from Hebron to the conquered city, Jerusalem, which he called the City of David. (2 Samuel 5)

David reigned over the entire nation of Israel from Jerusalem for 33 years. His son Solomon did likewise for another 40 years.Because of Solomon’s sin, God tore away most the kingdom from his son. Nonetheless, Jerusalem remained the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah (thus of the Jewish people), and a son of David sat on the throne in that city until a total of 418 years had passed from David’s conquest.

The LORD God of Israel had told David and Solomon that “in this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever…” (2 Kings 21:7)God had promised that, “for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen,” He would keep the tribe of His servant David and give the city to a son of his. (1 Kings 11:13)For: “Nevertheless for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem…” (1 Kings 15:4)During this period, no fewer than 19 kings in David’s bloodline would rule from Jerusalem. (2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and the Psalms)

So we have it that, from David’s establishment of the city until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC(E), Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews.Their captivity in Babylon lasted 70 years, during which they mourned for their destroyed capital and temple and prayed fervently to return. They also vowed there, in exile, that they would never forget Jerusalem. (Psalm 137)While in captivity the prophet Daniel prayed concerning Jerusalem:

“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us…” (Daniel 9)Beginning in 538 BC(E), during the reign of the Persian King Cyrus, the first exiles made their way back under Zerubbabel, and began to rebuild Jerusalem. Between 520 and 516 they rebuilt the temple, restoring the city to the center of Jewish worship and service to God. Circa 458 BC(E), during the reign of King Artaxerxes, another wave of Jews was permitted to return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra. (Ezra 1-7)

“And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem…” (Ezra 10:7)Later, when Nehemiah was overseeing the rebuilding of the city wall, representatives of other nations – Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab tried to stop them. Nehemiah’s answer to them was unequivocal:

“The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:18)Lots were then cast to decide which one out of every 10 men who returned from exile would make Jerusalem their home. (Nehemiah 11)

While it is true that the Davidic Dynasty was not continued upon their return, and in fact that the ensuing centuries saw hardly a single Jewish king ruling from Jerusalem – the Jews’ political leaders continued to use the city as the seat of government, and Jews flocked to Jerusalem from around the country and the known world to celebrate the three appointed biblical feasts.

For the Jews, Jerusalem remained the capital from 538 BCE to AD 70 – even under Roman occupation.In the year AD 135, Jerusalem was flattened, and every last Jew finally driven from it. The Jews were also banned from entering the pagan city of Aelio Capitolina which the Emperor Hadrian built in Jerusalem’s stead.By that time Jerusalem had been this nation’s capital for a total of 1091 years.It was Rome’s avowed aim to eradicate every last Jewish link to, and interest in, Jerusalem.

But what was achieved was the opposite. For the next 1832 years, wherever they were scattered on the face of the planet, and in the face of often-extreme persecution and suffering, the Jews clung to the belief in their return.According to the Jewish prophets, a son of David would one day be restored to David’s Throne in the city of that great king. (Jeremiah 30; Amos 9)Ezekiel too saw in a vision the glory of God, which had departed prior to the destruction of the Temple, returning to Jerusalem and entering the again-rebuilt Temple of God. (Ezekiel 43 and 44) There the Almighty again declared Jerusalem to be the place of His throne and of His footstool.The Psalmist prophesied that there was a “set time” in the future when God would have mercy on Zion, favor Jerusalem, build up the city and then appear in His glory. When He does this, the nations of the world will fear and serve Him. (Psalm 102:12-22)Isaiah declares that in the “latter days” the temple will be established anew in Jerusalem, from where God’s word would go out to all the nations of the world. (Isaiah 2)It is in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion (the Temple Mount) that the Lord will reign in glory. (Isaiah 24)

Who is this LORD? Is it the Muslim god Allah? Emphatically not! He calls Himself the LORD God of ISRAEL. In Hebrew it is Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (YHWH). It is a name and a title that He does not change.We read on in Isaiah how this God will defend Jerusalem from all the nations that come against her. (Isaiah 31)Later the prophet tells us that God has set watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem; they are commissioned to petition the Almighty on behalf of the city until it is established as a praise in all the earth. (Isaiah 62)God plans to rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in His people Israel. (Isaiah 65)

“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers…” (Jeremiah 3:17-18)The Jewish people and their land will be saved, and Jerusalem will live safely. (Jeremiah 33)

Joel – another Jewish prophet, foretells that God will make Jerusalem a place of safety and deliverance (Joel 2). And through him God says that, “at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem” He will also gather together the nations and enter into judgment against them for the way they have treated His people and the land which He gave to them. It is at Jerusalem that this judgment will take place. (Joel 3)Through Zechariah God describes that He is “zealous for Jerusalem with great zeal.” Therefore, He continues, “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it. … The LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’” (Zechariah 1)

Again, this is “the LORD of hosts,” the God of Israel. It is not Allah, the god of the Muslim.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD. “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” (Zechariah 2)

And in Zechariah 8:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’ …“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.’“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the LORD of hosts, and I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

Which nation was God determined to punish when their fathers provoked Him to wrath? Israel.Which nation did God promise to return to the Land of Israel from all the lands to which He scattered them? Israel.Which nation does He restore to Jerusalem, before judging the rest of the nations concerning their treatment of this nation and its land? Israel.I could carry on and on. SO FULL is the Bible of references to Jerusalem, to its rightful people and to their God.

Sa’eb Erakat may find this distasteful, but as a Muslim, and as a spokesman for millions of Muslims who hate Israel and wish to appropriate Jerusalem for themselves, he worships the wrong god, one who has no power to take Jerusalem from the Jews.Hey, his god doesn’t even care about Jerusalem! Allah’s total lack of reference to this city in their “holy” book makes this clear.Jerusalem belongs to Israel – exclusively and for always.Now, if only its leaders would reference the Bible when it comes to the other critical issues they have to deal with – like the right to the Land of Israel – all of it.

Monday, May 17, 2010
Lest We Forget [Who Owns] Jerusalem

By Stan Goodenough
Jerusalem Watchman

It is not all that unusual for an Israeli politician to garnish his or her speeches with a verse or even two from the Bible (the Tanach or “Old Testament.”) Religious and non-religious Jew alike will dip into the most famous and cherished Hebrew-language original to underscore a message to their people.

Prime ministers have also used the Bible to encourage Christian visitors to Israel to continue and increase their support of the Jewish state.

Somewhat less common is the practice of using the scriptures in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to buttress one side of a political debate.

When, on Jerusalem Day last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dared reference the Holy Book in defense of the Jews’ claim to the city, the response was predictably harsh.

According to Reuters, Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating the 1967 return of Jerusalem to Jewish control that “Jerusalem” and its alternative Hebrew name “Zion” appear 850 times in the Tanach.

“As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check,” he said.

But when an Arab Knesset member challenged him, the news wire reported:

Netanyahu “offered a lesson in comparative religion from the lectern.”

“Because you asked: Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and none of the 16 various Arabic names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. But in an expanded interpretation of the Koran from the 12th century, one passage is said to refer to Jerusalem,” he said.

The indisputable fact was too much for PLO chief negotiator Sa’eb Erekat, who fired off this sanctimonious response:

“I find it very distasteful, this use of religion to incite hatred and fear,” said the man whose organization has a long and unbroken record of stirring hatred, and perpetrating and “justifying” acts of terrorism with references from the Quran.

“East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian town, and East Jerusalem cannot continue to be occupied if there is to be peace,” he added, unblushingly warning that “Palestinians” will continue to kill Jews as long as Jews insist that all Jerusalem is their capital.

No surprises there.

Netanyahu was quite correct in saying that there is not a single mention of Jerusalem in the Quran, whereas the Bible mentions the city nearly 1000 times.

Using an online Bible with a search engine, I sought to determine not just how many times this city is mentioned, but what is actually said about Jerusalem on some of these pages. This is what I learned:

That in 1004 BC(E), the Israelite king, David, overthrew a Jebusite stronghold located in the southern mountainous region of the land of Canaan, and relocated his throne from Hebron to the conquered city, Jerusalem, which he called the City of David. (2 Samuel 5)

David reigned over the entire nation of Israel from Jerusalem for 33 years. His son Solomon did likewise for another 40 years.

Because of Solomon’s sin, God tore away most the kingdom from his son. Nonetheless, Jerusalem remained the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah (thus of the Jewish people), and a son of David sat on the throne in that city until a total of 418 years had passed from David’s conquest.

The LORD God of Israel had told David and Solomon that “in this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever…” (2 Kings 21:7)

God had promised that, “for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen,” He would keep the tribe of His servant David and give the city to a son of his. (1 Kings 11:13)

For: “Nevertheless for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem…” (1 Kings 15:4)

During this period, no fewer than 19 kings in David’s bloodline would rule from Jerusalem. (2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and the Psalms)

So we have it that, from David’s establishment of the city until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC(E), Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews.

Their captivity in Babylon lasted 70 years, during which they mourned for their destroyed capital and temple and prayed fervently to return. They also vowed there, in exile, that they would never forget Jerusalem. (Psalm 137)

While in captivity the prophet Daniel prayed concerning Jerusalem:

“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us…” (Daniel 9)
Beginning in 538 BC(E), during the reign of the Persian King Cyrus, the first exiles made their way back under Zerubbabel, and began to rebuild Jerusalem. Between 520 and 516 they rebuilt the temple, restoring the city to the center of Jewish worship and service to God. Circa 458 BC(E), during the reign of King Artaxerxes, another wave of Jews was permitted to return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra. (Ezra 1-7)
“And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem…” (Ezra 10:7)
Later, when Nehemiah was overseeing the rebuilding of the city wall, representatives of other nations – Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab tried to stop them. Nehemiah’s answer to them was unequivocal:
“The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:18)
Lots were then cast to decide which one out of every 10 men who returned from exile would make Jerusalem their home. (Nehemiah 11)

While it is true that the Davidic Dynasty was not continued upon their return, and in fact that the ensuing centuries saw hardly a single Jewish king ruling from Jerusalem – the Jews’ political leaders continued to use the city as the seat of government, and Jews flocked to Jerusalem from around the country and the known world to celebrate the three appointed biblical feasts. For the Jews, Jerusalem remained the capital from 538 BCE to AD 70 – even under Roman occupation.

In the year AD 135, Jerusalem was flattened, and every last Jew finally driven from it. The Jews were also banned from entering the pagan city of Aelio Capitolina which the Emperor Hadrian built in Jerusalem’s stead.

By that time Jerusalem had been this nation’s capital for a total of 1091 years.

It was Rome’s avowed aim to eradicate every last Jewish link to, and interest in, Jerusalem. But what was achieved was the opposite. For the next 1832 years, wherever they were scattered on the face of the planet, and in the face of often-extreme persecution and suffering, the Jews clung to the belief in their return.

According to the Jewish prophets, a son of David would one day be restored to David’s Throne in the city of that great king. (Jeremiah 30; Amos 9)

Ezekiel too saw in a vision the glory of God, which had departed prior to the destruction of the Temple, returning to Jerusalem and entering the again-rebuilt Temple of God. (Ezekiel 43 and 44) There the Almighty again declared Jerusalem to be the place of His throne and of His footstool.

The Psalmist prophesied that there was a “set time” in the future when God would have mercy on Zion, favor Jerusalem, build up the city and then appear in His glory. When He does this, the nations of the world will fear and serve Him. (Psalm 102:12-22)

Isaiah declares that in the “latter days” the temple will be established anew in Jerusalem, from where God’s word would go out to all the nations of the world. (Isaiah 2)

It is in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion (the Temple Mount) that the Lord will reign in glory. (Isaiah 24)

Who is this LORD? Is it the Muslim god Allah? Emphatically not! He calls Himself the LORD God of ISRAEL. In Hebrew it is Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (YHWH). It is a name and a title that He does not change.

We read on in Isaiah how this God will defend Jerusalem from all the nations that come against her. (Isaiah 31)

Later the prophet tells us that God has set watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem; they are commissioned to petition the Almighty on behalf of the city until it is established as a praise in all the earth. (Isaiah 62)

God plans to rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in His people Israel. (Isaiah 65)
“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers…” (Jeremiah 3:17-18)
The Jewish people and their land will be saved, and Jerusalem will live safely. (Jeremiah 33)

Joel – another Jewish prophet, foretells that God will make Jerusalem a place of safety and deliverance (Joel 2). And through him God says that, “at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem” He will also gather together the nations and enter into judgment against them for the way they have treated His people and the land which He gave to them. It is at Jerusalem that this judgment will take place. (Joel 3)

Through Zechariah God describes that He is “zealous for Jerusalem with great zeal.” Therefore, He continues, “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it. … The LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’” (Zechariah 1)

Again, this is “the LORD of hosts,” the God of Israel. It is not Allah, the god of the Muslim.
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD. “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” (Zechariah 2)
And in Zechariah 8:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’ …

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.’

“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the LORD of hosts, and I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Which nation was God determined to punish when their fathers provoked Him to wrath? Israel.

Which nation did God promise to return to the Land of Israel from all the lands to which He scattered them? Israel.

Which nation does He restore to Jerusalem, before judging the rest of the nations concerning their treatment of this nation and its land? Israel.

I could carry on and on. SO FULL is the Bible of references to Jerusalem, to its rightful people and to their God.

Sa’eb Erakat may find this distasteful, but as a Muslim, and as a spokesman for millions of Muslims who hate Israel and wish to appropriate Jerusalem for themselves, he worships the wrong god, one who has no power to take Jerusalem from the Jews.

Hey, his god doesn’t even care about Jerusalem! Allah’s total lack of reference to this city in their “holy” book makes this clear.

Jerusalem belongs to Israel – exclusively and for always.

Now, if only its leaders would reference the Bible when it comes to the other critical issues they have to deal with – like the right to the Land of Israel – all of it.